There was a time when being referred to as a redneck might have been a badge of honour. While it has always been bestowed on the "poorer inhabitants'' of the United States, in particular the southern regions, in the late 19th century it referred to men who worked in the field, and who's skin had been burned red by the sun, in particular their necks.

But, the days when the word 'redneck' was associated with good old fashioned hard work are long gone.

More than 100 years on, it is a derogatory term used for a people infamous for living in trailer parks, drinking moon shine, growing mullets when it's not even the 1980s, placing Confederate flag stickers over their old rusted pick-up truck if they are lucky enough to have one, making regular appearances on the Jerry Springer show ... and possibly even popping out a couple of kids after a relatively successful recording career, but struggling to hang on to them - literally.

The way they are portrayed on the big screen is not a lot different to the way they are seen in real life. Only it's much worse. They remain depicted as very much a rude, obnoxious, unsociable, uneducated folk from the south, but are pretty much the lowest of the low - racists, wife-beaters, rapists, killers and even sheriffs ... and occasionally play the banjo.

Call 'em what you will. Rednecks or hillbillies. There's not a lot of difference between the two, with the latter simply more your mountain variety redneck. There's a little interesting 'fact' that states the redneck will not have sex with his sister, where as the hillbilly is married to his sister. The redneck's family tree has branches, the hillbilly's family tree does not branch out at all.

It has been a challenge to create a list of the most memorable redneck (or hillbilly) characters from film - such as the one you are about to peruse (that means look over, for you rednecks reading) - due to the fact you must first come up with a selection criteria and then work out who exactly qualifies.

For the purpose of this list we are keeping the meaning of redneck (or hillbilly) quite broad - they are a person who is Caucasian (that's white, again for you rednecks) and is either of lower socio-economic status (poor) or simply uneducated (narrow-minded, racist as well as largely illiterate) or unsociable (just plain rude), and come from the South, the home of the redneck. But, it doesn't mean you will find Joe Dirt or Larry the Cable Guy ...

This list is ... well, mine and includes those rednecks (or hillbillies) who have made the biggest impact on my movie-watching experience, but are not necessarily from the most memorable redneck movies.